Fire-lighting apparatus.



S. SAUNDERS.

FIRE LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPucATIoN mso D:c.19.1911.

1,292,521. Patented 1311.28, 1919.

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S. SAUNDERS.

FIRE LIGHTING APPARATUS.

APPLlcAnuN FILED nec. 19, 19H.

1,292,521. Patented Jan. 28,1919.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

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FIRE-LIGHTING APPARATUS.

Application iiled December 19, 1917.

To all fw hom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, SAMUEL SAUNDERs, a subject of the King of Great Britain and Ireland, residing at 43 Lower Mosley street, Manchester, in the county of Lancaster, England, have invented new and useful Improvements in Fire-Lighting Apparatus, of which the following is a speciiication.

This invention relates to means and ap plianees for use in connection with automatic controlling devices for heating and such like installations, as for example automatic heat controlling appliances such as are described in my United States patent application Serial No.v 195669.

It is known to use automatic means governed by a clock or time measuring device to control heating, lighting and such like installations, and, in some cases, such means are capable of an extended use and might be utilized t0 effect say the lighting of a fire at a predetermined time.

I propose to make use of a fire-lighter which combines a container capable of being broken, perforated, over-set, parted (or otherwise destroyed or acted upon) by such automatic means, as to ignite the body o'r' the fire-lighter (or a combined fuse), and simple devices or means are employed and` worked from the automatic control applidestruction of the container on actuation ofv the automatic means.

My improvements are hereafter fully described with reference to the attached two sheets of drawings in which Figure 1 illustrates in elevation a form of fire-lighter according to my invention and which I have found to act well.

Fig. 2 is an end view.

Fig. 3 shows a plan.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the acid tube, &c.

Fig. 5 shows the fire-lighter and also an elevation of a weighted lever combination, 0r form of breaker, which is worked directly or indirectly from the automatic control appliance.

Fig. 6 is a plan of the weighted lever combination.

I build up a suitable construction of wooden fire-lighter A which may be of rectangular or other shape and may be of wooden members a', a2 and end members e3 a3, and one or more cross-bars as for example two cross-bars4 a* a* one back and front. The end members may be cut or Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 28. 1919.

Serial No. 207,857.

bored or partly cut or bored or shaped to centrally support a glassor other tube b or vial or the like which contains say sulfurie acid, or such like, the tube or the like being closed or sealed. Surrounding or fixed to the tube, vial, or container. is a. wrapper 0 containing say resin, and chlorate of potassium, or such ,like ignitible substances or chemicals, and the wrapping may be wired on or sealed and is preferably varnished or coated with shellac or such like. This complete fire-lighter may be held together in any suitable way, as for example, the wooden elements may be tacked together. The {ire-lighter may have a wrapping, or be dipped in infiammable substance or be combined with chips, ctc., or paper, chips, shavings, and such like, may be applied around same when placed inthe grate. In practice I have found it best to use paper or shavings and chips arranged over the .tire-lighter betere laying on the coal or other fuel.

A fiexible or other actuating tie is arranged in connection with the tube b or the like in the fire-lighter, or such connection may be subsequently applied. In the drawing, a length of cordl d knotted at one end is passed over the tube b and the wrapping c, the free length passing down through a hole a5 and between the grate bars when the tirelighter rests in position thereon (see Figs. 1 and 5).

In connection with the fire-lighter I. use means to break or destroy or act on the tube or the like and to liberate the acid and so to ignite the fire-lighter. In the simplest method, I might attach the cord d or ilexible tie, after passing same over a` runner or pulleyQ to a hook or holdfast on the ash-pit door of say a boiler or heater in such manner, that, on the pulling-up or opening of: the ash-pit door by the automatic heat controlling device, the pull of the ash-pit door on the cord d or flexible tie, breaks the tube; or a mere flexible connection suitably guided say by a pulley or the like fixed on the ash-pit frame or ioor and which could be readily attached to the tube b or the like may be used and led up to a part of the automatic heat controlling appliance.

I prefer, however, to use a mechanical breaker or weight combination to break the simple lever e, weighted at eX, and which lever is fulcrumed on the fixed stud e supported in the cast-iron stand e2, which stand is designed to rest on the ash-pit floor. The Cord d from the fire-lighter passes downward around the cleat or projection e3 and its end is wrapped a few times around the grooved pulley e".

In settin the apparatus the weighted lever e is lifted, the bell-crank lever f then falling over so that the ledge f will serve to support the lever e. It is obvious, however, that if the end of the bell-crank lever should be accidentally lifted, either through the wire /z or otherwise, the weighted lever e would fall, and means are provided to prevent this while the apparatus is being set. Such means consist of a slidable safety bar iitted to the lever f and guided by a projection g and pin g2 in the slot g3. This safety bar has a projection gi which, when the safety bar has been moved in the position seen in full lines in Fig. 5, acts as an abutment against the underside ofthe boss of the weighted lever e and prevents the end of the bell-crank lever j" from being' accidentally lifted, and thus insures that the weighted lever e shall be prevented from falling by the projection 7. lVhen the apparatus, however, has been set the safety bar g is moved to the left (as shown in dotted lines in Fig. 5), and the end of the bellcrank lever f is then free to be raised by the Wire it, and the weighted lever e would fall as described. While setting the attendant first moves the safety bar to the right and after setting he withdraws same by moving to the left. When using a breaker device such as described, the wire it is connected to a draft door, or part moved by the automatic control appliance, whereby when said lever f is pulled, the fall of the weighted lever e effects breakage of the tube.

The manner of effecting breakage or upsetting of the tube or the like could be greatly varied and I do not wish to limit myself as to this in any way and I might use other modified forms of lever and link 1nechanism or gear according to circumstances.

Under my improvements I can lay a fire with perfect safety, say on a Saturday, making the requisite connections, and by automatic controlling means worked from a time measuringl device which opens doors, dampers and such like at' any predetermined time, start the fire up early on Monday or other morning without any human attention.

A simple pivoted weighted lever with cleat for cord and pivoted catch may be used, the pivoted catch being disengaged at the pre-determined time by a flexible connection from the automatic controlling means or some part moved therefrom.

I declare that what I claim is.

l. A fire-lighter comprising a frangible tube containing an acid, a coating on said tube formed of a substance ignitible by said acid, and means for breaking said tube.

2. A lire-lighter comprising a pair of spaced combustible supports, a vial supported by said supports same, said vial containin an acid, a coat` ing on said vial ignitibley said acid, and a iiexible member for breaking said vial trained over said vial and having one end thereof secured to said supports.

8. In combination, a frangible tube, a weighted lever, a flexible member connecting said tube and lever, means for supporting said lever in elevated position, and means for actuating said means to release said lever lwhereby said member is caused to break said vial, and means for preventing the accidental actuation of said actuating means.

In testimonywhereof I have signed my name to this specification.

SAMUEL SAUNDERS. In the presence of- RICHARD VVEBsTnR IBBERSON, ALFRED STUART YATES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

and spanning the 

